$1.2M Turf Project At Highlands Ridge Initially Approved In Chester

CHESTER, NJ — After hearing mixed reactions to the potential addition of turf fields to the Highlands Ridge Park project, township council members approved an ordinance providing funding for the improvements in a split vote.

In late December, the township council voted 3-2 to transfer nearly $1.2 million from the Black River Fields Project to Highlands Ridge Park.

The project was supported by then-Mayor Marcia Asdal and councilmen Tim Drag and John Butkus, while Mayor Michael Inganamort and Joseph DiPaolo voted against it.

During public comment, local resident Tom Grego argued that the council should have rejected it and instead written a new one in 2023 that called for transferring the approved funds to a more general fund. The council could then better decide what to do with the $1.2 million in the new year, across all of Chester Township, rather than just one specific park.

Grego gave the example of using some of the funds to support the new Chester Volunteer Fire Department project to build a pavilion at Chubb Park to support community events like the annual carnival and Oktoberfest.

"This is where the money should go. This is what would help the entire township," Grego said.

Di Paolo, who rejected the ordinance, echoed this statement, saying that he found the ordinance to be limiting. "I think we should be a little broader in saying if we want to proceed, we should look at Highlands and we should look at other places and not tie ourselves to one specific location."

Asdal argued that the ordinance names Highlands Ridge Park because it is the most logical location for a turf field in Chester, but that if the council wanted to broaden it, it could always be amended later.

"The advantage of Highlands is that we own it, it's not in the preservation area like the Black River Fields was across the street or where Chubb Park is. This happens to be a piece of property that has less restrictions and the rest of any open park in Chester Township, does not have those same parameters," Asdal said.

While many residents spoke out against the unknown financial and traffic burden that adding the fields could impose on the township, others spoke positively about the potential new addition.

One of the speakers in support was Gavin Wilk, an upcoming lacrosse player on the sixth-grade Mendham and Chester team.

Wilk stated that a turf field would be a significant improvement because, currently, weather conditions prevent teams from practicing on days when the field is frozen because the lacrosse season begins in early spring.

Asdal, who stated her support for a turf field, told the public that the ordinance only appropriates money for the possibility of putting a turf field in Highlands Ridge Park. Whether that is actually constructed, would be something for future councils to discuss.

"There will be many public hearings," Asdal said. "There will be many votes. There will be many decisions made. There will be much financial analysis done. There will be many studies done if future councils decide to move forward on any sort of artificial turf project on Highlands Ridge Park."